Art/Entertainment

With the snip of a pair of scissors, the purple ribbon dropped and the Brandon Roy basketball court was reborn recently.

The refurbished outdoor court south of the Delridge Community Center was once the healthy hangout for the Portland Trailblazer who fans call "Broy." The court was renamed in his honor.

"It's incredible to be back with my family," said Roy, a 6 foot 6 inch guard, following the ceremony. He was toting his 18-month-old son, Brandon Jr.

"I've had so many memories from this court when I worked on my game," he said.

09/29/2008

BROY COMES HOME. Portland Trailblaizer guard, Brandon Roy (right), or "Broy," as fans call him, returned to his former Delridge neighborhood to dedicate a refurbished basketball court where he once honed his skills. Parks and Recreation Manager Dennis Cook (left) was also honored, and Brandon asked him to cut the ribbon.Photo by Steve Shay

Nola Ahola shares a studio with two other artists in the basement of the historic Curtiss Building on Leary Way. She has worked in a series of old Ballard buildings since the 1970s, many of which have since been gentrified.

"I saw one of the old buildings I use to work in has been all tarted up," she said. "I think it's an architectural office or something now."

The gentrification of the once-industrial Ballard is creating changes for the art community here, and causing many artists, including Ahola, to worry about its future.

09/22/2008

"LET IN BE" BY MARTHA BROUWER. Brouwer moved to Ballard from Queen Anne in 1996 and started painting in 2000 after retiring from her art direction job.

Photo by Martha Brouwer

After nearly two and a half years, Ballard has its gateway back.

Last week (on Sept.

09/22/2008

GATEWAY IS BACK. City crews reinstall one of the "Ballard Gateway" sculptures at the entrance to the Ballard Bridge. The sculptures were removed in February 2006 due to damage caused by a windstorm.